Merlin the Friendly Ghost
by C. I. Smith
Summary: Merlin enjoys an out-of-body experience. Magic reveal.
1. Chapter 1

"So… when did you start practicing magic?" Arthur asked casually, even absent-mindedly.

"H-what?" Merlin stumbled, dropping the water basin he was holding on the floor with a clang. He knelt to pick it up, scrubbing hard where water had spilled, heart beating even harder.

He looked up to gauge the reaction on Arthur's face, but choked in surprise. Arthur had a sword at his throat, and was glaring down at his icily, even more so than usual.

"Arth-" he tried to cough out his master's name, but Arthur only held the blade firmer to his throat. A bead of blood glistened. Merlin had no idea what to do. Bile rose in his throat. What could he do? How had Arthur found out? How would he-

Merlin woke up and sat bolt upright in bed, sweating nervously. He felt his throat.

There was a small, open wound, bleeding lightly. Merlin convinced himself he had gotten it earlier while polishing armour, and got up, not quite ready for the day of work ahead of him.

~X~

"Don't be such a girl, Merlin!" Arthur chided, swinging his sword at the shield Merlin was holding, causing him to stumble backward and fall on his back, winded.

Arthur sheathed his sword and stood above Merlin, holding out a hand.

Merlin took it gingerly, and heaved himself upward with a groan.

"You're so weak, Merlin. It's a wonder you last through any skirmishes,"

Merlin smiled, chuckling at his secret to… well, staying alive.

_Magic._

He wanted to tell Arthur so badly, but knew he couldn't. He feared for his life, and the dream last night had shaken him. And besides, sometimes Arthur's emotional responses were a bit unpredictable.

"What are you smiling about, Merlin?" Arthur teased, thwacking him in the shoulder like he always did. Merlin thought he ought to be used to it by now, but he wasn't. It still hurt like the first time Arthur had ever punched him like that.

"Nothing, your royal prat-ness," he replied, grinning goofily. He then bowed with extreme flourish, causing Arthur to smile as well.

Merlin returned upright, and his vision swam. He swayed on his feet, feeling nauseous.

Arthur looked at him with genuine concern. "Merlin, are you all right?"

Merlin fainted and crumbled to the ground.

"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted, before everything went totally black.

~X~

Merlin stumbled and found himself deep in the forest. He had no idea how he had arrived there, and looked around, trying to spot anything even slightly familiar. There wasn't anything of the sort, and quite frankly, it was immensely nerve-wracking.

After all those hunts, Merlin prided himself on being able to get around Camelot and beyond very easily. But as of right now, he was completely lost.

~X~

Meanwhile, quite curiously, Arthur was carrying Merlin to Gaius's chambers, hoping the wise old physician could help.

Arthur opened the door with a strong kick, startling Gaius, causing him to drop a vile of a strange blue liquid he was holding.

Arthur winced. "Sorry," he apologized, "but Merlin-"

"It's all right, sire," Gaius said. "Lay Merlin down on the table. What happened this time?"

"He fainted at practice," Arthur began. Gaius sagged a bit in relief. Nothing to do with magic or beasts, then. "But this time was different, Gaius," Arthur continued, worry creeping into his voice.

"Why?"

"He just… crumbled. He didn't look dizzy or tired or anything. And I can't get any sort of response from him, except breathing,"

~X~

Merlin plodded about a bit, until he spotted a village to his left, beyond some hills. He smiled, and headed towards it.

When he arrived, a friendly looking woman waved to him. "Hello, stranger!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Um, can you give me directions to Camelot?" Merlin asked her. It was clear in his face that he needed this information.

"Of course!" she replied, and continued to tell him it was three days travel from here, to the north. He left, thanking her, walking quickly. He intended to get there in less than three days.

~X~

Arthur was right. Merlin had no answers to anything- potions, slaps, food, (Gaius's magic when he was alone) and other things. He was simply breathing, in a coma state that no one could rouse him out of.

Everyone was distraught. Gwen wept like they'd already lost him; the castle felt empty without his usual silly banter, but Arthur was in the worst shape.

It was as if Merlin had tamed Arthur, and the moment Merlin "left", so to speak, Arthur had been extra rude and detached, barking his (hopefully) temporary servant almost to tears.

"Arthur, you simply must pull yourself together," his uncle said carefully, leaning against Arthur's chamber doors. "Who knows how long he will be like that, if he'll ever return-"

"Enough!" Arthur snapped, but calmed a bit. "I will hear none of this. Merlin always survives,"

His uncle nodded in compliance, and left, smiling kindly at Arthur. His smile turned sour and mischievous as he walked away, rubbing his hands together in evil anticipation.

~X~

Merlin got to what he thought was far enough away from the village, and hid behind a tree. He whispered an incantation to take him right outside Camelot's walls. But nothing happened. Merlin frowned, confused, and tried a variety of spells, some of them really simple, but none of them worked. He couldn't use magic! He sighed worriedly, and continued his way to Camelot on foot, still intending to get there in less than three days. Maybe when he arrived, Gaius could help him.

True to his word, Camelot was in his sights only two days later. He walked through the castle gates, and no one threw him a passing glance. He relaxed, feeling at home. Now to get to Gaius.

He burst through the chamber door. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. He was lying on a bed, moved from his room to the main chambers, with all of his best friends huddled tight around him. Gwen was sobbing.

It was so weird- standing in the doorway, looking at himself lying on bed, pale and weak. Gaius looked up sorrowfully and asked, "Will someone shut that cursed door?"

Gwaine walked straight through Merlin, and shut the door softly, before turned around and walking back through Merlin to return to his position next to the Merlin who was on the bed.

"Gaius…?" Merlin said. Gaius didn't look up, giving no signs that he had heard him.

It struck Merlin, like one of Arthur's slaps when he was sleeping on the job.


	2. Chapter 2

Was he dead?

He was certainly ghostlike, but the Merlin on the bed was still breathing. He couldn't be dead.

"Do not fear, Emrys," a deep voice said from behind.

Merlin whirled around to see an old man, tall with long white hair peeking out from beneath a green cloak. He was leaning on a clearly magical staff.

Merlin glanced over at the grieving group, but it was apparent no one could see or hear them.

"This is Morgana's doing," the sorceror began, "she tried to kill you with a telepathic connection, and thinks she put you in an irreversible coma. In reality, your magic was so strong, it cast you out of your body to save you. That is why no one can see you,"

"But, there was a woman in a village I didn't recognize- she saw me!" Merlin protested.

The man smiled. "That was a hidden druid village. Your magic took you there,"

Merlin groaned. "They could've helped me! I've got to get back there!"

"Ah, but it is not that easy," he said. "Your friends there are planning to give you hemlock to end your suffering before you starve to death, tomorrow morning. When they do, your soul will be bodyless, trapped between life and death."

Merlin felt his stomach drop when he remembered the village was two days travel from here, when running. He didn't have the time. "How can I get back?"

"You must have someone who trusts you notice you and willingly carry your soul back to your body,"

"But I'm invisible, how will anyone notice me?"

"You opened the door, didn't you?" The old man said, smiling thinly. The sorceror started to fade. "Good luck, Emrys. Albion depends on you and the king,"

"But wait!" Merlin called. "Who are you?"

"We shall meet again. Then, you will know," the sorceror's voice said, and he was completely gone.

Merlin realized the person he would have to make contact with was Arthur. He didn't want to offend Gaius, and it would've been easier with Gaius if it might come to using magic, but Arthur was the other side of the coin, and his best friend. The sorceror had told him Albion depended on him, and the king.

It was getting dark outside, and his friends filed sadly out of the room. Even though they could pass right through him, Merlin stepped out of the way. It was creepy, having people pass through you. Arthur was the last one to leave, and he cast one last heart-wrenching look at the coma-Merlin. The other Merlin followed him out of the door.

Arthur walked slowly to his chambers, and opened and closed them quite quickly. Merlin sighed, and just passed through the wood barrier.

Arthur went to his desk and put his head in his hands, unmoving.

It was odd and touching seeing his friend care about him so much.

Merlin pondered for a second on how to get through to Arthur, who was now looking over some documents.

That was it!

He would take a piece of parchment from the pile of unchecked documents, and write a note. As Arthur took another document, Merlin did was well. Arthur noticed a quill get up and wander to a paper, separate from the rest. He simply watched, thinking he was just tired and sad and his mind was playing tricks on him. When it finished, he cautiously picked it up and began to read. His eyes widened with every word.

_Arthur you clot pole, it's Merlin. I'm sort of trapped outside my body. Please believe me, and DO NOT kill me tomorrow! If you give me a blank sheet of paper I'll explain. -Merlin_

Arthur muttered, "I must be dreaming," but in a fit of hope, he passed a blank piece of parchment to the spot where the other one had been written.

Merlin described everything as best as he could, bending it from his magic protecting him from death to Morgana simply casting him out to get Camelot's ruler in a sad state of weakness and take over. It was mostly true, but Merlin assumed Morgana's real reason was to pull a thorn out of her side.

When he finished writing, Arthur read it, then blinked and rubbed his eyes. "I'm going crazy," he muttered, leaning back in his chair.

Merlin, frustrated, threw a pillow at Arthur's face and scribbled messily across a treaty, "NO YOU'RE NOT!".

Arthur smiled. That was a Merlin thing to do. And besides, if this meant Merlin was not going to die tomorrow, he would gladly accept it as the truth. "But how can I help?" Arthur asked thin air.

Merlin snatched another document and wrote about Arthur accepting his soul. Arthur's face scrunched up at this bit, so Merlin hurriedly explained that he would just be carrying Merlin along, like a sword. He explained how he thought he could get inside Arthur's head, by basically jumping into him.

At this point, Arthur asked, "You won't be jumping on me, will you?" And Merlin wrote, rather largely, "NO!"

A few minutes later, Arthur was lying on his bed, looking around nervously. Merlin took a running jump and dived for Arthur's head. He was instantly sucked in.

Arthur gasped, seeing Merlin's whole life flash before him. The magic, the loneliness, saving Arthur's royal ass all those times, and the ultimate fear of betraying Arthur. After seeing all those moments- Freya, Balinor, Kilgharrah, Arthur was completely fine. He still trusted Merlin, but saw him in another light. Magic was evil- but Merlin was definitely not. He had been through too much for Arthur to be angry.

For Merlin, he didn't see Arthur's history, or know that Arthur had seen his. He just lost all motor functions, and was now seeing from Arthur's perspective.

Arthur knew what had to happen next, swallowing nervously and heading for Gaius's chambers.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur burst through the chamber door. He quickly checked up on the coma-Merlin, but he didn't look any worse. This time, Gaius wasn't as surprised, and calmly looked up. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Yes, sire?" Gaius asked. "What brings you at this time of day?"

Arthur swallowed. How was he going to say this? He shrugged. Just get it out, I guess. "I have Merlin… in my head," he said, pointing to his noggin.

Gaius raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon, sire?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Merlin isn't dead. He- he uh, well, Morgana cast him out of his body, trying to kill him so she could take over Camelot. Merlin's using me as sort of carrier. You can't kill Merlin tomorrow. We need to get him out of here, and into… himself," he finished, and sighed. He knew how crazy he sounded, and could swear he could hear Merlin laughing at him inside his head. Or, that could just be the craziness talking.

Much to Arthur's surprise, Gaius believed him. "How do we get him back, sire?" he asked.

_Merlin? _He thought. _How do I get you… back to you?_

Merlin mentally shrugged. _I don't know. I didn't really think this through._

_MERLIN!_

Merlin was offended. _It's not like I knew this was going to happen!_

Gaius looked on in amusement as Arthur stood stock still in the middle of the room, going through curious facial expressions and staying completely silent. By the look of it, he was arguing with Merlin.

_Oh Gods, I'm not going to have to kiss you, am I? _Arthur thought, horrified.

He could feel Merlin's disgust. _No! I'll make sure it doesn't come to that! Just… ask Gaius if he knows anything. That usually helps._

Arthur's little debate ended when he looked at Gaius. "Merlin told me to ask you if you know of anything that could help us out of this… predicament."

Gaius withheld a smile. "Let's get reading, shall we sire?"

~X~

Arthur slammed the book shut and put his head down on it, exhausted. He thought he had never read that much in his life. Of course, he had barely skimmed one book, but he thought that was okay because Gaius had just cleared his tenth book. Gaius looked Arthur and folded his hands in front of him. "Come upon anything useful, sire?" he questioned.

"No," he muttered, voice muffled by the dusty book jacket.

Gaius sighed, but he couldn't blame Arthur. This wasn't exactly his area of expertise. "I may have found something useful," he commented.

Arthur's head shot up, nose covered in book dust. "What did you find?"

"It's not what I found, but what I thought. You said Merlin just jumped into you, sire?"

"Yes…" Arthur replied, not sure where this was going.

"Why don't you let Merlin out and have him try jumping into himself?"

Arthur beamed. "Gaius, that's great! But how do I get Merlin out?"

"Well, he jumped into you, so to speak, so just imagine thrusting him out."

Arthur smiled mischievously. He imagined (quite vividly) grabbing Merlin by his scarf thing and chucking him as far as he could throw him.

_Arth-_ Merlin had tried to say.

Gaius watched as the bookshelf against the wall across from them suddenly shuddered, as if a large wind had hit it. Gaius thought it was probably a little bit bigger, but scrawnier, than some wind.

"Merlin, are you all right?" Gaius asked as Arthur laughed loudly.

"Just a little bruised," Merlin replied, rubbing his head, but Gaius, once again, could not hear him. He grabbed a piece of parchment, annoyed it had come back to this, and wrote, _Fine. I'm going to try the jump, so stand back_!

Gaius grabbed Arthur and they pressed against the wall, fearing the worst.

Merlin braced himself and ran full tilt at… himself, on the bed.

_BAM!_

It was as if there was an invisible barrier around coma-Merlin, and as soon as ghost-Merlin ran at him, he was thrown backward with some force, landing on the worktable. All the books Gaius had been reading slid off, and crashed to the floor, opened on random pages.

"What was that?" Arthur asked, worried.

"I'm afraid Merlin has had quite a thrashing today," Gaius replied grimly.

Merlin moaned. If he had known he was going to get thrown back, he would have focused like he did at Arthur's chamber doors and just slid through it, but there wasn't the time. Besides, if he knew he was going to get thrown back, he wouldn't have jumped in the first place.

Merlin took the piece of parchment off the floor.

_Back to square one _, he wrote.

Arthur groaned as he read it. Even though he knew Gaius wasn't going to deliver the hemlock tomorrow, he worried that the bed ridden Merlin might get worse. There just wasn't the time for this. How was he going to get Merlin back?

The quill came to life again. _Arthur, sorry, but I'm getting back into you, _the paper said.

Arthur's eyes widened. "Merlin, wait-" he was cut off, barreled and burdened with Merlin's life story once again.

_Welcome back, clot pole,_ Arthur thought.

Merlin's indignation rolled off him in waves. _That's my word!_ he protested, and Arthur smiled.

Back to square one.

~X~

The next day, Arthur was strolling along the palace halls when he spotted Gwen in the hallway. "Hi Gwen!" Merlin said, blocking Arthur from saying anything.

Gwen frowned slightly, used to Arthur calling her Guinivere.

"Oh, sorry, it's Merlin," Merlin said simultaneously with Arthur saying, "I apologize, Guinivere, that was Merlin," their voices overlapped with an odd fashion that couldn't be made with one mouth.

"Arthur, are you okay?" she asked, coming closer, her eyebrows scrunched together in worry.

"No," "Yes," he said at once.

That only made her worry more.

Arthur sighed. This was getting complicated.

_Merlin, could you shut up and only think, not speak? _he thought.

"I thought I was, sorry Arthur!" he said aloud. "Wait, I can't think! Everything I say comes out of your mouth!"

Gwen went from worried to slightly creeped out. "Arthur, you should see Gaius," she said, before fleeing down the hall.

"That wasn't good," Arthur said, and this time, he was speaking.

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit slow and short. Don't worry and bear with me, there's more coming! Thanks to all the wonderful reviewers!**


	4. Chapter 4

When Gwen was out of sight Merlin asked, "Why can't I think anymore?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Just shut up, Merlin. Let's go back to Gaius and see if any of his books know anything about this,"

"Okay," he replied.

A new guard, standing around the corner, was completely, and utterly befuddled. Why was Arthur talking to himself? Merlin wasn't there and yet he used his name. He had never dealt with anything like this before. In fact, he had never really dealt with much of anything before! His eyebrows scrunched up as he thought the hardest he had ever thought. Minutes later, he decided on his next action. He would tell Agravaine, as he was the next in charge. Maybe he could do something about it!

Smiling proudly at his decision, the guard left his post and went to go find Arthur's uncle.

~X~

A tentative knock sounded at Agravaine's chamber doors. He sighed and put down the documents he was looking over. "Come in," he called, standing up and dusting off his clothing.

A guard, tall but lanky, stepped in, gripping his scimitar tightly with a sweaty hand. He said nothing, eyes flitting nervously around the room.

"Yes, what is it?" Agravaine snapped, exasperated. "Has someone invaded?"

The guard paled. "N-n-no, sire, but I thought you m-might like to know that Ar-Arthur was seen, in the hallway, talking to himself," he finished quickly.

Agravaine frowned. "Are you completely sure?" he asked, intrigued at this new development.

The guard nodded quickly before answering, "Yes, sire,"

Agravaine smiled at the guard as kindly as he could muster. "Thank you for notifying me that Arthur is not well. I shall deal with this as soon as possible. You may resume your post,"

The guard nodded again, before slipping out the door and almost cheering in happiness. It seems his decision was a good one! He hoped he would get a better job as a reward. As he walked through the hallways, he imagined all sorts of amazing jobs he could get. They all included large sums of money, which he desperately needed, with the baby on the way. He couldn't wait to tell his wife!

~X~

Arthur burst through Gaius's door once again.

"This is becoming a habit, sire," Gaius said, smiling.

"What?" Arthur asked, clearly confused.

"Nothing, sire, may I ask why you are here?"

"Um, Merlin and I can't think-communicate anymore. Everything he says comes out of my mouth. Do you know anything more, Gaius?"

"We would have to go back to the books," Gaius told him, gesturing at the obscene piles that littered the small living space.

Arthur groaned. "No, please, not again," he said.

"If it helps, Arthur, from our last session we have narrowed it down to ten books that have information on souls, possessions and transferences," Gaius replied, gesturing to a slightly smaller pile on the table.

"Do you think you could manage that yourself, Gaius?" Arthur asked, feeling guilty but knowing he had other things to do.

'I shall get to it straightaway, sire," Gaius announced, sitting down and picking up a large leather book on top of the pile.

Arthur sighed in relief. "Thank you Gaius," he said, and walked back to his chambers.

Upon arrival, Arthur said, "Merlin, I believe you have quite a lot of work to finish,"

Merlin couldn't help himself. Being silenced all day, he finally blurted, "Um, Arthur, I can't really, _do _anything,"

"I'll have to get a new servant until you are back to normal," Arthur conceded. "But don't think that because you are relieved of your duties that you can relax. You must never say a word in the presence of others,"

"Of course," Merlin said.

Arthur plopped down in his ornate chair, reading over a document Agravaine had said needed revision. Some parts of a treaty had been crossed out. Arthur had to admit that his uncle's revisions were wise and well-backed, but he wished he could make more of the choices himself.

"Oh, no," Merlin moaned. "Do we have to read over these silly little things all night?"

Arthur, usually hating the job himself, smiled. "Why yes we do, Merlin!"

~X~

Gaius was finally getting somewhere in the third book when the door burst open, as usual. "Arthur, any new updates?" he asked without looking up.

"I'm afraid that's why I'm here," Another voice, less welcome replied.

Gaius looked up, casting a wary glance at Agravaine. "I beg your pardon, sire?" he asked as respectfully as he would allow for this man.

"I think you know what I am talking about, Gaius," Agraivaine said, voice tinted with malice.

Gaius sighed. "Arthur has been a bit… unwell," he said, which was mostly truth.

Gaius looked up from his reach to check Agravaine's expression. He was no longer looking at Gaius, but at Merlin, lying on the bed. Unlike Morgana, he didn't even try to feign worry. "What of the boy?" he asked.

"I'm afraid he is in a coma, sire," Gaius saw that this was exactly what Agraviane had wanted to hear. He had let a smile play quickly across his face before turning serious once more.

"Tomorrow, you are letting him rest in peace, correct?"

Gaius realized he had run into a problem. Would Agraivaine see the job through, until it was done? How could he keep him safe whilst the evil Uncle was watching? "Yes, sire," he answered, turning back to his book, more desperate than ever.

"I am so sorry for your loss," Agravaine said, patting Gaius on the back before leaving.

"I'm sure," Gaius muttered, turning a page.

~X~

Agravaine's horse galloped full speed through the woods, twigs crunching underhoof. When they arrived at Morgana's little abode, learning from his mistakes, Agravaine knocked on the door.

It opened, and he peered in to see Morgana across the room, eyes returning from gold.

"Any news?" she asked icily.

"Good news, yes." he paused, wondering if she should tell him about Arthur. "And some rather bad news, but nothing to worry about," he quickly added.

Morgana eyed him. "Well?" she asked.

"The boy is in a coma, that much is good, but-"

"A COMA?" Morgana yelled, jars flying off of shelves, before she calmed herself. "He was supposed to be dead instantly! No human could withstand that! How is he in a coma?"

"I do not know, milady. But, Arthur was acting strange. A guard informed me he was seen talking to timself,"

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with _Merlin_?" she spat his name out like a curse.

"Nothing, if I'm correct. But I thought you would like to know,"

"Of course, thank you, Agravaine. You're ever so loyal. This is an interesting development,"

He smiled like a silly puppy. "I'm at your service, milady," he replied.

She smirked. "Find out more about Arthur, and tell me what you discover," she ordered.

"Yes, Morgana," Agravaine said, bowing. He walked out stiffly and Morgana slammed the door right before he had completely exited., pushing him forward to land in the mud. Morgana laughed quietly before turning back to a cauldron she had boiling.

Agraivaine, completely convinced it was an accident, tried to wipe off as much mud as possible before mounting his horse and riding back to Camelot.

~X~

Agravaine entered Arthur's room, to check on him. Arthur had some chain mail on, being helped by an unfamiliar servant. "Greetings, Arthur." he said.

"Ah, Uncle!" Arthur replied, the servant finishing. He turned around. "I was just getting ready for a hunt- (for some odd reason, Agravaine noted, that made him smile like a giddy little boy)" Arthur stopped talking, looking concerned. "What happened to your face?" he asked.

Agravaine quickly checked Arthur's mirror, grimacing. Apparently most of the mud was still attached to his skin. "I was checking the borders and my horse was frightened, bucking me off," he lied.

Arthur bought it. "Here, you can get my servant to fix you up," he said, pushing the nervous boy toward his uncle.

Agravaine smiled genuinely, remembering to be grateful for the little pleasures that being a part of the royal household brought. "Thank you, Arthur,"

Then, Agravaine remembered his reason for coming to Arthur in the first place. "Ah, but I'm afraid you cannot go on this hunt," he said, faking a sad look.

Arthur, adjusting a shoulder guard, looked up. "Why?" he asked.

"You are mentally unwell, sire, a guard reported you… talking to yourself. Gaius can confirm you have not been yourself as of late."

Arthur rolled his eyes, mentally verbally assaulting Merlin. "Uncle, I assure you I am-"

"You will be confined to your chambers. Some sleep should help, you are probably just stressed, which is understandable. A servant will be with you at all times, and guards outside your door. I will check up on you every half-hour,"

Before Arthur could protest, Agravaine walked out and shut the doors. He heard the scuffle of boots and knew his uncle was not lying about the guards part.

"Thanks, Merlin!" he yelled.

Agravaine, still conversing with the guards, stopped midsentence. Merlin? Why had the King mentioned Merlin? This would be something he would have to get to the bottom of. Morgana would love to hear he had mentioned Merlin. It looked like Agravaine would be going out to the hut twice in one day.


	5. Chapter 5

Agravaine burst through Morgana's door and thought in hindsight that the dramatic entrance probably wasn't the best idea. Morgana glared at him and asked, "What is it this time?"

"Arthur has been reported talking to himself, and when he thought he was alone in his chambers he yelled 'thanks Merlin'", he reported, smiling just a little bit, feeling proud.

But, instead of showering him with praise, Morgana stared at him with a bored expression. "And?" she started, standing up. Her black hair rippled on her shoulders. "Arthur has always been a buffoon. Maybe he concealed his craziness well. He always had a fond spot for the boy, but pushed him around as well. He was probably just blaming him for another one of his own mistakes. I see no real progress in this report. Is Merlin dead yet? What of Gaius? Are we any closer to Camelot falling?" As she made her speech, Morgana was inching closer to Agravaine. At this last sentence, she was only a foot away from him, her eyes like daggers, as usual.

Agravaine couldn't help but feel a little peeved. "But, milady, maybe somehow Merlin is alive-"

Morgana cut him off. "Even so, Arthur is confined to his chambers, correct? And Gaius will soon be administering the servant's poison. Even if by some stroke of luck Arthur and Merlin are communicating, this does not change out plans!"

Agravaine bowed. "Yes, milady," he said respectfully, knowing if he irked Morgana any further Merlin wouldn't be the only one without life. "I shall check up on our dear Gaius and make sure the little nuisance is taken care of,"

Morgana didn't give him a reply, busy with her own ends. Agravaine shut the door as un-dramatically behind him as he could, and sullenly walked back to the castle.

~X~

It was well past midnight and Gaius's reading was not getting finished. He kept worrying about Arthur and Merlin, locked up, and Merlin on the bed, who was supposed to be left in peace in just a few hours.

How in all of great Albion was Gaius going to pull this off?

He knew taking care of Merlin would be a large responsibility, but he didn't the boy's life would fall into his weathered hands quite so often. It was a difficult job, and Gaius had thought his days creeping through castles and risking important things were well behind him, but he was wrong.

He thought long and hard, reading intermittently, when he glanced upon a passage in a book that actually looked promising.

_When two souls are forced to take shelter in the same form, there are few ways to reverse this. Both bodies will have to be present for any spell of concoction to work…_

Gaius read on, sweat beading on his forehead. "This is not going to be easy," he said, sighing.

~X~

A faint red light spilled into Gaius's chambers, a sign of the morning. A knock put Gaius into wakefulness, and he slowly got out of bed, hastily putting a blue robe on over his nightwear.

"Yes?" he called groggily.

"It is Agravaine," the man himself replied. "May I enter?"

Gaius lurched over to the door, composing himself. He swung it open, grinning halfheartedly. "Sire?" he questioned.

Agravaine was unceremoniously peeking over his shoulder, looking at Merlin. "Has it been done?" he asked.

Gaius feigned a distraught look. "No, I'm sorry, but Merlin is like a son to me. I've been trying to make his passing as easy as possible, and I would like to do it in silence and bury him myself,"

Agravaine heartily but sympathetically patted Gaius on the shoulder. "Of course," he said, dropping his head, "It is indeed a great loss. I shall respect your wishes and have no one bother you,"

Gaius silently cheered but kept his face solemn. "Thank you, sire," he said.

Agravaine nodded curtly and swirled around, fantasying about what he thought was the evident downfall of Arthur Pendragon.

As soon as he was out of sight, Gaius breathed a huge sigh of relief and prepared a travois, hoisting the unconscious Merlin onto it. As the boy's head lolled to the side, Gaius muttered, "Sorry my boy, but this may be a bit uncomfortable," before throwing a sheet over him, and lugging him out the door. Gaius had to remember not to smile about his small victories and bent his head as he passed through the courtyard. The small morning chatter all but dissipated, watching the small procession in silence. As he passed by Gwen's house, her face disappeared from the doorway, clearly red from crying. Gaius wished she could have told her the truth, but he had never found the time. He knew it was especially hard for her, being one of the first friends Merlin had ever made in Camelot, and her love Arthur was rumored to be extremely ill. He passed by, trying not to check people's reactions and he kept him gaze to the cobblestone pathway, heading out of Camelot. He hoped the blanket had been thrown on so Merlin could still breathe, and passed out of the palace gates.

~X~

**A/N: Sorry that it has been awhile since I updated, but my friend is ill and I have exams so I'm really busy and this is all I could fit in for now. This chapter isn't over, so expect some more fun for Arthur-Merlin! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

Gaius was feeling extremely rebellious, excited, and guilty.

He knew the trip to Ealdor would take days, and he just didn't have that kind of time. So, feeling rebellious, he uttered the strongest magic he had attempted to use in over twenty years. A teleportation spell, long and complicated but he could remember it clearly. Along with a lot of other memories he tried to shove down. "Ewch fi at lle yr wyf mewn angen dybryd o fod, mor gyflym Blink neu feddwl. Ewch fi at Ealdor lle y gallaf lwyddo yn fy dyletswyddau i lles pob," he whispered rhythmically.

Then, came the excited part.

Gaius wasn't exactly one hundred percent confident that would actually work, as it hadn't last time. But, as he uttered the last syllable, a long since forgotten but all too welcome feeling crept into his belly. The light, excited fluttering he felt whenever he used magic, increased by the power of the spell. Around him, things slowed and then stilled. The image shimmered, like a mirage, before turning dark and clouding over. Just as soon as they had covered all of his vision, the clouds and darkness crept away, the mirage shimmered one last time, and with a pop of his ears, Gaius was standing breathless right in front of Hunith's door, with Merlin's travois right behind him. He grinned proudly at his sucess.

Last, guilty.

Gaius always alerted Hunith the moment anything happened, no matter how painful it would be to write. He mailed her constantly, giving her the much-needed tales of what her son had gotten himself into this time. Although recently, as events grew ever more dire, Gaius had forgotten (or put it off to a later date) to pick up his quill. Hunith had no idea anything was wrong, in fact, with the lack of letters she probably thought things were going extremely well and Merlin hadn't gotten into any particularly bad situations.

Gaius sighed. How wrong that statement was. He knocked slowly, three times, on the door. It was late, and she answered the door very quickly. The smell of a dinner flooded Gaius's nostrils as the door swung open. He realized with a start he hadn't eaten in a very long time.

Hunith recognized the look of longing on her friend's face. She knew he wouldn't come here for nothing. "Come inside," she said warmly, gesturing towards the table behind her, which was home to a big boul of soup. "There's enough for you."

Gaius thanked her and stepped in, ducking under the low threshhold and dragging the travois behind him.

Oh God, the travois!

Hunith noticed it as he passed by, and the smile on her face disappeared instantly. Although it took a lot of strength, Hunith let Gaius and his passenger pass by her into the house and close the door before she practically screamed, "WHAT IS THIS, GAIUS?"

Before he could console her or tell her the truth of the matter, the threw the cloth off of Merlin and buried her face in his scarf, uttering muffled sobs.

Gaius was astonished. Hunith was usually the epitome of self-control. But, he thought guiltily, the lack of letters must have had her extremely concerned.

"Hunith!" he snapped, a little too sharply, "He's not dead, gather yourself!"

Her head shot up, looking at Gaius with a mix of confusion, anger, and hope.

Before she could say anything, he ordered, "Sit."

She complied, face blank of emotion. She was waiting for an explanation, Merlin had done something silly again and she would laugh.

Gaius sighed, and sat opposite her, folding his hands on the wooden table. A short silence ensued, only broken by the random crackle of the fire in the hearth.

"We both know Merlin is extremely powerful, if he hasn't grasped his full potential yet," he began.

Hunith nodded, letting a tiny proud smile slip.

"We aren't the only ones who have taken notice of our boy, though, Hunith. Unfortunately some rather bad people know of Merlin's power, and have attempted to rid the source."

Hunith paled.

"The powerful priestess of the Old Religion, Morgana, attempt to kill him from afar with a powerful mind-spell. But, even though this particular threat didn't know of Merlin's magical capabilities, she knew he had played a big part in the downfall of Morgause, her half-sister. She assumed Merlin was an ordinary man, and put that much effort into the spell. Luckily, it wasn't enough to kill Merlin. Even if she tried harder, I don't think she ever could have managed that,"

Hunith smiled a little bigger. She was waiting for the explanation, but she knew Gaius had to give the full story first.

"Sadly, it was quite a bit of power. Merlin was cast out of his body, and is currently using the prince Arthur as a sort of tether to reality,"

Hunith gasped, and finally spoke. "How will we fix this?"

Gaius unfolded his hands and grasped Huniths comfortingly. "I've been doing a lot of reading, and I have a solution. Arthur's uncle Agravaine believed Merlin to be in a coma, so I had to fake his death. Which is why, Hunith, I need you to care for Merlin's body, feed him, keep him warm, but make sure absolutely no one here know of it."

Hunith nodded, grasping the severity of the situation. "Please, Gaius, write as often as possible and keep me updated," she begged. "I need to know how he's doing, Gaius,"

Gaius smiled at her, eyes crinkling. "I'm sorry for the lack of letters. They will resume their usual flow. Now, I'm sorry, Hunith, but I can't spend the night. Time is of the essense,"

She stood up alongside Gaius. "I understand, Gaius. Thank you,"

He pushed his chair in, and wrapped his cloak tight. He was slightly excited in a boyish way again, he would be using the same mode of transportation home.

He was walking out the door when Hunith quietly said, "And Gaius?"

He paused, looking back at her. There were tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Take care of him, please,"

He smiled, thinking fondly of Merlin.

"I will, Hunith,"

**A/N: The spell Gaius uses translates as "Take me to where I am in dire need of being, as fast as a blink or a thought. Take me to Ealdor where I can suceed in my duties to well being of all." I know, I know. But I thought it sounded cool!**


End file.
